


Throw Away The Measurements

by TheBlindBandit



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Pearl/Space, Pink Diamond, Pink Diamond Theory, Pre-Series, Technician Pearl, defective pearl, mass-produced pearls, strict homeworld hierarchy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 18:26:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4845764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlindBandit/pseuds/TheBlindBandit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some time before Pink Diamond decides to be the change she wants to see in the universe, she meets a pearl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Throw Away The Measurements

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Never Leave The Stream](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4657413) by [TheBlindBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlindBandit/pseuds/TheBlindBandit). 



She didn’t know what she’d done wrong.

That was, perhaps, the worst part of it all. She’d tried so very, very hard and done her best to be careful, and quiet, in line and unnoticeable - and now it was all about to be over and she _still_ had no idea where the slip had been, the mistake that had finally tipped the scales against her.

It wasn’t like it mattered, and it wasn’t like it could possibly change anything, but- but she just wished that _someone_ would tell her what the one-transgression-too-many had ended up being, yell at her about shoddily put-together exhaust manifolds on Pink Diamond’s ship, or the poor rushjob soldering she’d done on the vent connectors, or maybe she’d gotten soot on the glossy white finish of the starboard maintenance panels…

The line inched forward, and the silence of the Overseers in between the few barked-out orders to continue moving drove home the fact that there was very little pearls needed to know beyond where they were to go next and what task they were to perform there. And it was so very simple, wasn’t it, even now? As clear as any other command broadcast on the holo-panels.

**_Destination: Facet Six Recycling Centre**

**_Assignment: Retirement [TBR]**

A few had gone in already. She hadn’t known them particularly well - as pearls from a newly produced freshwater series and only recently assigned to her detail, they’d had very little to do with her. It hardly seemed relevant now, she supposed, as she’d be joining them soon enough. The grate was drawing ever closer - well, _she_ was the one approaching _it_ , it was, of course, all a matter of perspective, and one could perhaps consider-

She cut her jumbled, senseless thoughts off, clenched her hands to still them, and decided that she would manage this, at least, as if she were any other pearl. Properly formed, with no glaring faults or flaws… and still about to be-

The grate clanged shut behind the next pearl in line, and a commanding voice rang out across the hall as if in response. “Stop!”

-

She wasn’t _trying_ to listen in, but the transport that was supposed to take them back to the shipyard was taking inexplicably long, and the voices from the Overseer’s office carried - especially the one she now knew belonged to none other than the magnificent Pink Diamond herself, widely renowned for charming audiences of tens, even hundreds of thousands, and the Authority’s favourite and most well-liked mouthpiece.

_“Judging by the shipyard logs, the pearl assigned to exhaust maintenance yesterday was unit 1236940-D.”_

Several heads turned towards her at the Overseer’s words - she was, of course, hardly the only pearl listening. Admittedly, others likely did it with much more subtlety than she usually managed. Some of the glares were openly accusing, though she still couldn’t begin to fathom what she’d done to cause all this, and why she was being singled out now - by a _Diamond_ , no less.

_“Then I’d like to speak to your… unit 1236940 in person.”_

There was audible confused hesitation before the reply. _“Of course. Unit 1236940_ -D _will be with you shortly.”_

Pearl clamped her hands over her mouth to muffle the yelp that threatened to escape her - that _had_ escaped her, judging by the looks thrown her way along with disapproving head shakes. It was drowned out, however, by the PA system sounding with the Overseer’s tinny voice. “940-D, your immediate presence is required in Room 35.”

She flew to her feet and all but ran to the meeting room, trying to shake off the sensation of stares boring holes in her narrow back, some filled with blame, some with pity.

What had she _done_?

The door with the number 35 stamped on it in bright red slid open for her automatically, and she stepped in as soon as she could squeeze through. There was nothing inside save for a small table and several chairs, none of which she’d dare try sitting on. She’d barely had a chance to start thinking of ways to calm the trembling in her hands and appear presentable when the soft _swoosh_ of the door opening sounded behind her again.

“I was informed my requested pearl unit would be waiting for me here?”

The voice poured over her like… something warm, and clinging, but not in an unpleasant way. She turned to face the source and couldn’t help but gape at the sight before her, wondering, briefly, if she was supposed to… grovel? Beg for another show of mercy? Even when not ripping them all from the jaws of certain death, Pink Diamond was the single most amazingly awe-inspiring Gem pearl had ever seen. The appropriate etiquette tidbits finally managed to float up through what felt like a haze of pink surrounding her, and pearl hastily dropped into a bow, stammering out something she hoped was a sufficient confirmation of identity.

“You know,” came a voice at her ear, and pearl shivered as Pink Diamond leaned down to whisper all conspiratorially, “I’ve never actually spoken to a pearl before.”

“Oh. Well, I- I am glad I can be of service and… help you add to your list of experiences.” Pearl bit back a _but_ _I don’t know how to talk to **anyone**_ and tried not to look too terrified when a large and surprisingly gentle hand urged her to stand upright.

“Excellent! What do I call you?”

Pink Diamond looked directly at her and pearl restrained her instinct to bolt. And it would surely be considered some sort of unforgivable crime to express confusion over such a direct question, wouldn’t it? “Usually, the last three digits of a designation are sufficient to, er- differentiate.”

“So that would make you… nine-four-oh?”

“Nine-four-oh- _D_ , yes,” pearl offered the almost-correction with a subtle stress to imply if the letter was left out she’d be a pretender, or a liar, or- _trouble_ -

Pink Diamond repeated the _four-nine-oh_ , rolling it around her mouth experimentally, and pearl noticed she didn’t exactly seem to pick up on the, well, inherent subtleties of pearl designations, perhaps- but that train of thought undoubtedly fell under questioning and doubting a superior - and not just any superior but a _Diamond_ \- so pearl stopped.

Just in time for the enchanting voice to call her attention back. “Would you mind terribly if I just called you Pearl?”

Would she _mind_? _What kind of-?_ But apparently she’d already spent too long a time gaping at the Gem before her and trying to parse the request correctly, because there came a questioning prompt of “…Pearl?”

“N-no, of course not! As you wish. Absolutely.” Pearl scrambled to agree, and it didn’t escape her notice that her agreement hadn’t exactly played much of a part there, in the end. The Diamond seemed pleased, though, and Pearl found herself wanting to return her smile.

“Well, Pearl, tell me about yourself, then.”

Relieved at the fact that this particular request made easy enough sense, Pearl began her well-rehearsed rattling off. “As you are aware, my full designation is Pearl unit 1236940-D _._ I was farmed on Pier 24 in sector B of facet fi-”

“Oh, yes!” Pink Diamond sounded delighted at the fact, almost. Pearl couldn’t imagine why- but then again, she could hardly imagine how _anything_ worked and felt for aDiamond. “Piers 12 through 24 were the ones where we introduced the new growth accelerator.”

Pearl swallowed her shudder at the thoughts of _maybe **that** was why-_ suddenly multiplying and milling about in her head, and gave a weak nod in acknowledgement, fumbling to continue after that interruption. “I’ve been crewing starships ever since I was processed, and I only got assigned to the shipyards about four rotations ago.”

“An experienced spacefarer, I see,” Pearl was graced with a wide smile that felt as if an intense spotlight was being shined directly on her, and she tried not to squirm. “That’s lovely - travel is my absolute favourite thing.”

“Oh, yes, it’s very enjoyable. I-” _have no idea why I’m admitting to this or where I found the nerve to speak so freely?_ “- I liked to sneak off sometimes, during quiet periods when I wasn’t likely to be needed. I wasn’t exactly allowed on any of the observation decks, but, well, cargo holds don’t really tend to have any viewports…” Pearl trailed off with a nervous chuckle and watched as the wondrous smile slowly faded, a layer of clouds drawing over Homeworld’s twin suns.

There was a strain in the air between them now, one even Pearl could clearly recognise as not coming purely from herself. She still had no idea why a Diamond had decided to come to this frankly terrible place, and why she’d asked for this conversation, but it had evidently not gone at all as she’d expected. Displeasure was etched on Pink Diamond’s lovely features, and Pearl found she didn’t feel much gratitude for this brief stay of execution anymore. “I’ll just… go back to the Overseer’s office and stop wasting your time. The grate should be working fine by now, too.”

“What?” Comprehension and a sort of mild horror dawned on Pink Diamond’s face as Pearl fidgeted in place, silently begging for permission to leave. “No, oh no, you have the completely wrong idea! I’m very sorry you and your colleagues got entangled in this mess, or if you were… frightened. It has nothing at all to do with you, and you are absolutely not at fault.”

It sounded like the least likely thing Pearl had seen or heard the entire bizarre day, but the words seemed earnest enough and everything about Pink Diamond seemed to demand trust. “You can go back to the shipyard. Here, look, I’ve had all of you assigned back to your previous post, like none of this ever happened.”

Pearl glanced over at the handheld holo-panel Pink Diamond was showing her, and saw for herself that it was all true - the full detail listing was back under dock 26, her own designation sticking out immediately. _Like none of this ever happened._

She looked back up and met Pink Diamond’s gaze, then sketched a hasty bow and made to leave as soon as she received permission in the form of a brief nod.

_Like none of this ever happened._

Pearl had her doubts.


End file.
